SermonCentral users and Logos users share a close bond. Many of you have found us via the SermonCentral sermons section in the Logos Passage Guide. And, with Logos 7 launching today they were kind enough to provide me with a review copy of Logos 7 Gold. I have to tell you, I was impressed.

SermonCentral users and Logos users share a close bond. Many of you have found us via the SermonCentral sermons section in the Logos Passage Guide.

With Logos 7 launching today they were kind enough to provide me with a review copy of Logos 7 Gold. I have to tell you, I was impressed.

Their theme for this version says it all: From Preparation to Proclamation.

What that means is that the folks at Logos Bible Software have put serious time, thought, and development into creating tools that will seriously affect how a pastors and lay-leaders alike prepare and present the truth of God’s word.

There are lots of important elements in this release. I include them at the end of my post. But there is one single, invaluable feature that every pastor should consider when buying Logos 7:

The Sermon Editor

The Sermon Editor allows pastors to streamline their workflow entirely in Logos. No more shifting back and forth between your Bible software and your word processor. Now, you have the ability to design everything within a single window, as seen with this sample sermon outline.

The most exciting part is, once you create your sermon once, you’ve already created everything else you need, including manuscript, slides, and handouts for small groups.

Here, I have everything I need for my manuscript, all carefully arranged with cross references, and full-text.

If you are teaching in an evening service where handouts are appropriate, by simply changing to Handout view, you immediately have an outline you can provide to your listeners. You can even hide answers to fill-in-the-blank questions.

Additionally, Logos automatically adds slides to my sermon for major headings, verses, and more. These slides can be styled and exported to PowerPoint or Proclaim, Faithlife’s presentation software.

In my opinion, this is the single best reason to consider Logos 7. However, if you’re looking for more, here are some of the jewels I’ve discovered.

Resources

Logos 7 contains numerous important resources. Some of the best in Standard Gold include:

Commentaries:

All of the following commentaries are included in Logos 7 Gold.

Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Pillar New Testament Commentary (2014)

The New International Greek Testament Commentary

Tyndale Commentaries (49 vols.)

Charles Spurgeon Collection (149 vols.)

Logos Mobile Ed:

I personally believe that continuing education is one of the most important elements in a pastor’s life. We should continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom, each and every day.

CM328 Preaching the Psalms

ET101 Law and Gospel: The Basis of Christian Ethics

NT211 Introducing the Gospels and Acts: Their Background, Nature, and Purpose

NT176 The Gospel Message in the Early Church

Interactives

Logos has designed interactives that feature incredible, media-rich resources that provide you with ideas and starting points for thematic preaching/teaching, or, in a more relaxed environment, allow you to share them directly with your people.

For Scholars: New Testament Manuscript Explorer – for those studying textual criticism in Seminary, or even for pastors wanting to give their people a realistic look at the manuscripts which support the Bible as we know it.

For Preachers/Teachers: New Testament Use of the Old Testament – Don’t preach another New Testament passage without fully understanding the background of a given passage.

For Teachers: Narrative Character Maps – This interactive provides a visual reference point for how characters fluctuate within a story. For example, the overview of the book of Ruth carefully tracks the individual characters as they move in and out of the narrative.

Why You Might Not Want Logos 7

The Wrong Resources

You need to know that these are the right resources for you. With numerous tradition-specific base packages, they offer several library options. But, as many reviewers have pointed out before, you get a lot of resources, but how many of them will you actually use? I personally believe the value you get with the commentaries is sufficient, but you may not agree.

Loss of Comprehension

Studies are in: reading in print raises comprehension significantly. You may not want to lose the comprehension that comes with having a print library. The benefit, of course, is the portability it provides, as well as the space-saving nature.

Lack of Mobile Development

The Sermon Editor faces one glaring issue and that is its lack of support for mobile devices. With many preachers using iPads and tablets in the pulpit these days, this is a significant hindrance. Additionally, the Logos mobile app has shown little updating in the past few years, and many of the latest features do not transfer. With more and more being done on mobile, this is a significant weakness.

Limited Media Options

The media options for both Logos 7 itself and the PowerPoint functionality is limited. Because you cannot readily import your own media, you lack the ability to use other sources, such as Adobe Stock, or SermonCentral’s own $26,000 media library.

Conclusion

The team at Logos has put together a fine release. I applaud them for their effort and hard work, especially as they seek to serve the pastors who minister to Christ’s Church.

Jonathan J. Watson is the Editor at SermonCentral.com. When not working, Jonathan enjoys traveling and exploring God's great creation. His background is in theological studies and ministry, and is the founder of Learn with Logos, courseware to help you read and understand the Bible better.

SermonCentral users and Logos users share a close bond. Many of you have found us via the SermonCentral sermons section in the Logos Passage Guide. And, with Logos 7 launching today they were kind enough to provide me with a review copy of Logos 7 Gold. I have to tell you, I was impressed.

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